Author Topic: John Davidson's "Time Machine" (Read 5384 times)

PYLW · « **on:** August 06, 2006, 10:11:31 PM »

Anyone know where I can find an official rule-sheet to this Reg Grundy game show? For the life of me, I've never heard of this before, but from what I've been told, it looks interesting....Thanks.

clemon79 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 06, 2006, 10:22:54 PM »

[quote name=\'PYLW\' post=\'126506\' date=\'Aug 6 2006, 07:11 PM\']
but from what I've been told, it looks interesting
[/quote]
Rest assured, you didn't miss a single solitary thing.

Basically it was people playing Price-Is-Right-type games, except they would guess at years instead of prices.

parliboy · « **Reply #2 on:** August 06, 2006, 11:53:31 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'126508\' date=\'Aug 6 2006, 09:22 PM\']
[quote name=\'PYLW\' post=\'126506\' date=\'Aug 6 2006, 07:11 PM\']
but from what I've been told, it looks interesting
[/quote]
Rest assured, you didn't miss a single solitary thing.

Basically it was people playing Price-Is-Right-type games, except they would guess at years instead of prices.
[/quote]

Channeling mini-Zach:

Yeah, that's basically it. A smattering of more detail, though:

The first format of the show saw three contestants play games that were, yeah, basically pricing games for decent prizes, only dealing with recent history instead of prices. One of them would usually be a returning champion.

After each played one game, they played the show's equivalent of the Showcase Showdown. You know that segment Dateline NBC has sometimes done where they give you some events and you have to identify the year it happened? Take away the multiple choice and you've got this game. Closest to the right answer plays the bonus game. The bonus (at first played for an EXCESSIVE amount of stuff, later just a car), was a true/false quiz. You had to answer "5 minus n" questions, where "n" was the number of days you had won. If successful, you got the schwag and retired. If not, you returned the next day.

They eventually changed formats. They had two new contestants on to play the three games against each other, earned points for winning ala Jim Lange NTT. Winner played the returning champion to guess the right date for all of those events. In this format, if the champion won the car, the runner-up assumed the champion's position the next day.

davemackey · « **Reply #3 on:** August 07, 2006, 09:46:29 AM »

[quote name=\'parliboy\' post=\'126512\' date=\'Aug 6 2006, 11:53 PM\']
Channeling mini-Zach:
[/quote]
In the words of Chuck Woolery, "I wouldn't touch that line with a forklift!"

Allstar87 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 07, 2006, 04:10:19 PM »

I have the first and last episodes, so I can provide the rules for some of the mini-games they used. Here were the three used on the premiere:

Tube Game: A base year is given. Then the contestant is given the names of two ABC shows, and has to pick which one was airing in that year. If they're right, they win that "network". This is repeated with two NBC shows, then two CBS shows.

A prize package is hidden behind one of the networks. If it's behind a network the contestant won, they get that prize package.

Main Event: A base year is given, along with five categories. Before the game, the contestant picks the category they're least comfortable with, and they instantly win that category. For the others, they must answer a question related to that year. Each question has two possible choices, meaning you at least had a 50-50 shot for each one.

Now came the tough part. Each category had a clue behind it, and the clues pertained to a certain thing (the "Main Event") that occured that year. The clues were revealed one at a time, and the contestant can only see the clues behind the categories they won. Guessing the Main Event on the first clue won you $5,000, guessing on the second won $4,000, the third $3,000, and so on.

3 In A Row: This is played on a tic-tac-toe board; in each square is a different year. (All years are from the same decade.) Before the game starts, the contestant places three "Poison Cards" in a row on the board; I'll explain why in a moment. The contestant is shown nine events. They pick an event, and the year in which it happened lights up. If they light three years in a row diagonally, they win a car. Any other way, and they get a smaller prize. But if they light up the three with the Poison Cards, they win nothing.

For the second format, all the games were re-tooled for a second player. I'll come back later with the games used on the finale.

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #5 on:** August 07, 2006, 09:51:30 PM »

Quote

The first format of the show saw three contestants play games that were, yeah, basically pricing games for decent prizes, only dealing with recent history instead of prices. One of them would usually be a returning champion.

On the first format, if games were won the prize went into the contestant's "prize bank", and they only won the prizes if they became the show's champion; which kind of sucked because you could play your game perfectly but not win the show, and you wouldn't get the prize.

tyshaun1 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 07, 2006, 10:07:39 PM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'126572\' date=\'Aug 7 2006, 09:51 PM\']
the show sucked
[/quote]

Fixed.

Tyshaun

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #7 on:** August 07, 2006, 10:24:33 PM »

[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' post=\'126576\' date=\'Aug 7 2006, 10:07 PM\']
[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'126572\' date=\'Aug 7 2006, 09:51 PM\']
the show sucked
[/quote]

Fixed.

Tyshaun
[/quote]

Point taken...but I'm sure most of us have a bit of a soft spot for some of these short-lived shows. I kind of liked Time Machine when it was on....but then I liked Blank Check too. Having said that, I hope your opinion of me hasn't gone down...

BrandonFG · « **Reply #8 on:** August 07, 2006, 10:51:10 PM »

Never seen an episode, but what was so bad about the show? It seemed like it had potential, kinda like HistoryIQ, but just didn't take off (Okay, neither did HistoryIQ). Or is it the fact that history doesn't really translate well to a 30 min. game show?

/Don't know much about his-tor-y...

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 07, 2006, 11:10:15 PM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'126581\' date=\'Aug 7 2006, 09:51 PM\']
Never seen an episode, but what was so bad about the show?
[/quote]
Though I've never seen it, part of me thinks it had to be the host...

BrandonFG · « **Reply #10 on:** August 07, 2006, 11:15:03 PM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'126582\' date=\'Aug 7 2006, 11:10 PM\']
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'126581\' date=\'Aug 7 2006, 09:51 PM\']
Never seen an episode, but what was so bad about the show?
[/quote]
Though I've never seen it, part of me thinks it had to be the host...
[/quote]
Forgot about that one. :-P

Allstar87 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 07, 2006, 11:31:19 PM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'126581\' date=\'Aug 7 2006, 10:51 PM\']
Never seen an episode, but what was so bad about the show? It seemed like it had potential, kinda like HistoryIQ, but just didn't take off (Okay, neither did HistoryIQ).
[/quote]

I think it's because of John Davidson's less-than-stellar hosting job (as Modor noted). That, and many people think the first format is too much like TPIR's. That said, I think it's better than most people make it out to be. The set and music were great, and some of the games were pretty cool as well.

I think it started to suck when the second format came into play*. The new formats for each game didn't seem like they had a lot of thought put into them. They didn't need to keep the Time Capsule round for the second format, either. The challenger had to play through three games against an opponent just to get a shot at winning, and all the champ had to do was throw one lucky guess into the air to make the challenger's journey for naught. It might've worked better if they played one more mini-game against the champ.

*Of course, many will argue it sucked before that point too...

Neumms · « **Reply #12 on:** August 08, 2006, 12:06:28 PM »

[quote name=\'Allstar87\' post=\'126586\' date=\'Aug 7 2006, 10:31 PM\']
think it's because of John Davidson's less-than-stellar hosting job (as Modor noted). That, and many people think the first format is too much like TPIR's. That said, I think it's better than most people make it out to be. The set and music were great, and some of the games were pretty cool as well.
[/quote]

Eh. Davidson was but one problem. The trouble with the not-pricing games was that they looked dull and were dull. Photos mounted on cardboard don't provide a lot of sizzle, and there wasn't a Plinko in the bunch. There's also the fact that prizes and prices are related. Prizes and historic dates aren't.

There's a germ of an idea, though, at least the part Dateline seized.

booboo · « **Reply #13 on:** August 08, 2006, 06:52:04 PM »

[quote name=\'Allstar87\' post=\'126552\' date=\'Aug 7 2006, 04:10 PM\']
I have the first and last episodes, so I can provide the rules for some of the mini-games they used. Here were the three used on the premiere:

Tube Game: A base year is given. Then the contestant is given the names of two ABC shows, and has to pick which one was airing in that year. If they're right, they win that "network". This is repeated with two NBC shows, then two CBS shows.

A prize package is hidden behind one of the networks. If it's behind a network the contestant won, they get that prize package.

Main Event: A base year is given, along with five categories. Before the game, the contestant picks the category they're least comfortable with, and they instantly win that category. For the others, they must answer a question related to that year. Each question has two possible choices, meaning you at least had a 50-50 shot for each one.

Now came the tough part. Each category had a clue behind it, and the clues pertained to a certain thing (the "Main Event") that occured that year. The clues were revealed one at a time, and the contestant can only see the clues behind the categories they won. Guessing the Main Event on the first clue won you $5,000, guessing on the second won $4,000, the third $3,000, and so on.

3 In A Row: This is played on a tic-tac-toe board; in each square is a different year. (All years are from the same decade.) Before the game starts, the contestant places three "Poison Cards" in a row on the board; I'll explain why in a moment. The contestant is shown nine events. They pick an event, and the year in which it happened lights up. If they light three years in a row diagonally, they win a car. Any other way, and they get a smaller prize. But if they light up the three with the Poison Cards, they win nothing.

For the second format, all the games were re-tooled for a second player. I'll come back later with the games used on the finale.
[/quote]

if they only lit 1 of the "poison cards" then they would get something right?

Allstar87 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 08, 2006, 08:18:03 PM »

[quote name=\'booboo\' post=\'126655\' date=\'Aug 8 2006, 06:52 PM\']
if they only lit 1 of the "poison cards" then they would get something right?
[/quote]
Yes, they'd still win. They only lost if they lit up all three. Which made it too easy to win something, since there was just one way you could lose.

I have heard of a different format for "3 In A Row"; horizontal & vertical lines got the prize, diagonals lost the game, and there were no Poison Cards. That was probably used after they figured out the first was too easy.